


More than you could ever know

by EarthsickWithoutYou



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Smut, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 14:31:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13033155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarthsickWithoutYou/pseuds/EarthsickWithoutYou
Summary: Harry gets the wrong idea about Caitlin and Ralph at the gang's Christmas party and makes an early departure.  Caitlin follows him and they finally confess their feelings.





	More than you could ever know

“Because no one is better than you,” Ralph finished, his words deceptively smooth despite his halting delivery. Caitlin smiled softly and thanked him.

Meanwhile, smoldering with quiet jealousy a short distance away, Harry Wells cursed himself and the universe’s unfailingly cruel sense of timing. Here, he’d finally worked up the nerve to tell Caitlin how he felt about her, and she and that stretchy beanpole were making eyes at each other by the Christmas tree. _Typical,_ he snarked at himself, almost accusatory, like, _really, Harry, what did you expect? Of course she doesn’t look at you that way. Of course she’s into him._

Harry grabbed his jacket and made a quiet exit, continuing to brood on the subject. Yeah, naturally Caitlin would go for Ralph. After all, Caitlin was stunning, brilliant, kind beyond belief, and Ralph, he was…okay, Harry had nothing. But still, they’d looked pretty flirty back there.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned away, but a quick, light trotting behind him caught his notice just before a sweet voice inquired, “Harry? Don’t tell me you’re really leaving this early. Where are you going?”

Busted. Harry turned slowly to see Caitlin standing there practically pouting, snow falling gently into the lush, blonde-brown curls that spilled over her shoulders. She’d actually thrown her coat and mittens on and come rushing out here after him, and this realization made Harry’s heart skip a beat. Or maybe it was the way she glowed in the winter moonlight, but either way, he was a goner.

“I, uh…” He stalled helplessly, ruffling his hair. “I’m going home. To the lab, I mean. There’s, um, still work that I need to finish, and let’s face it, I’m not exactly Mr. Christmas Spirit or anything, this isn’t even my Earth…” He was almost out of lame excuses, but he racked his brain just to make sure there weren’t any more that he could tack on for good measure.

“You seemed pretty filled with Christmas spirit when you and Cisco decorated the lab,” Caitlin observed wryly, crossing her arms and looking quite suspicious, for which he could hardly blame her. “And who works on Christmas Eve?”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just that…” Harry trailed off pathetically, gesturing with his hands as if words would fall from the sky along with the fresh snowflakes and save him from this awkward encounter. Finally, he just let go of his attempts to cover up his real reasons for ditching the party, and at least one of the walls he kept up around his heart fell down. “I don’t know how to tell you this, Snow,” he admitted.

*********************************************************************

A strange thrill teased Caitlin’s spine and she wondered if he was actually, _finally_ going to make a move. Two years of repressed sexual tension and the angst of assuming that a big-time crush (she’d hoped that’s all it was, but really, who was she kidding?) was unreturned began to swirl dizzyingly in her memory. 

Sure, earlier today she’d questioned her instincts. At Jitters, he’d looked at her with such tender intentness and told her she was special. That should have seemed like a fairly casual and simple adjective to bestow on a longtime friend, but instead, the look on his face and the electricity crackling in the air between them gave it a very significant meaning. He meant that she was different from everyone else, that she was special _to him_. Had she been mistaken in thinking that her feelings for Harry were unrequited? Now he had her wondering again. Caitlin’s patience, despite her fear of being shot down and relegated back to the friend-zone, had officially run out.

She stepped closer and put a hand on his arm, nearly stilling his nervous fidgeting. He bit his finger, continuing to struggle to express himself. Caitlin might’ve laughed, given how fast he usually was with a cynical barb, spot-on joke, or genius scientific revelation, but this was serious. “You don’t know how to tell me what, Harry?”

“Okay, okay, okay,” he fretted, “Here it is. I kind of got this _feeling_ when I saw you with Ralph back there, and I just didn’t like it, so I left. Because I have no right to feel that, but I also couldn’t stand there watching, or go in another room making small talk while I knew the two of you were flirting over your eggnog, so uh, yeah, I took off.”

“Oh,” Caitlin managed, surprised that the syllable could even be heard above the thunderous pounding of her heart. 

“Yeah,” Harry agreed, still not understanding. “‘Oh.’ I mean, it’s weird, I know it’s weird, and I’m sorry. But I didn’t want to lie about it, so. Yeah, sorry, I can go now.”

Caitlin gently yanked his elbow to curtail his attempted escape, and in the process she brought their bodies much closer together. Neither one of them pulled away. She gazed up into his soul-stripping blue eyes and felt as if she’d just stepped from a dark room with the door shut into a bright and beautiful world of new possibility.

“Can we…just back up a minute? What do you mean, you ‘got a feeling’ when me and Ralph were talking? By the way, I’m not with him and I have zero interest in _ever_ being with him.”

“Liiiiike, a feeling that you get when you’re just…” Harry’s fingers rested lightly on her elbows, their near-embrace distracting both of them. She loved that soft, husky voice of his. It sent shivers through her that had nothing to do with the cold weather.

“….Jealous?” Caitlin asked, smiling at how adorably flustered he was. 

“Yeah, yup, jealous, that’s the word.” Harry let out a long breath. “Glad I finally got that off my chest.”

“Me too,” she agreed, her hands resting near the collar of his jacket. “You don’t have any reason to be jealous.”

“Really?” Harry asked, incredulous. Caitlin almost could have giggled, again, at this bout of humility, coming from him of all people.

“Really. Because the only person I’m interested in is the same one I’ve sort of…” Caitlin’s hands drifted down to clasp Harry’s as he gazed at her, entranced. “…always been interested in,” She finished bravely. “Someone who makes me feel that sort of a way that you get when you just find this other person extremely cute and funny and intellectually stimulating in a way that’s sexy at the same time…” Caitlin’s blunt explanation came tumbling from her lips so easily that it shocked her. 

Even more surprising? Harry leaned down and kissed her lips, gathering her into his arms. His kiss was gentle and tentative, his lips so warm and delectable that it pained her when he pulled back after just one teasing brush of their mouths. 

“I’m really hoping that you were talking about me just then, because otherwise—” His breath caught in his throat; he was still anxious to make sure she wanted this too. 

“Yes, Harry, I was talking about you,” Caitlin grinned. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head up, the slightest elevation of her heels needed to close the three-inch height difference between them, which was lessoned by her choice of shoe. It was time to erase all of those doubts that were plaguing him. Yeah, his confusion was beyond endearing, but she needed him to fully know the truth now. So she kissed him, long and deep, his hands pressing against her maroon velvet dress, having slipped inside her coat, no space between them now, just the way she wanted it. 

Caitlin let a small moan escape as their tongues met and she cradled his face in her hands, overwhelmed by the way his touch had started to rove over her more confidently. “Harry,” She murmured, bliss-dazed, when they came up for air, “It’s freezing out here.”

“Yeah,” He acknowledged, rubbing her back to warm her. Caitlin smiled at the sweet gesture. Harry was so overcome with the reality of what they’d just done that he wasn’t thinking straight yet. She had to admit, thought was a bit of a struggle for her at the moment.

Well, she had thoughts. But they were all of the sexual variety that brought a deep pink tinge to her cheeks.

“You know where it’s nice and warm?” She asked suggestively, taking his hand and leading him away. When they reached her apartment, Harry smiled at her decked-out Christmas tree. 

He nodded to the tree and observed, “Perfect tinsel placement.”

“Thanks,” Caitlin replied, taking off her coat and laying it over the back of a chair. She switched on the tree lights and they lent a pretty, soft, blue-green-pink luminescence to the room. 

“You have a really nice place here. I’ve been thinking about getting an apartment for myself, too, since I’m putting down roots on Earth One and all. No need to stay holed up in the lab like a hermit forever, you know.” 

Caitlin slid Harry’s jacket from his shoulders and laid it over her own coat. “Mmmhmm,” she replied. “Good idea. Or you could just stay here.”

“Here?” Harry asked, like he couldn’t believe she’d actually suggest such a thing.

“With me,” She added. “Harry, why did you think I didn’t return your feelings? I just assumed that you weren’t interested in _me_ that way because you never showed it. Until today, that is. I started to wonder after what you said at Jitters.”

“Snow, how could anyone _not_ be interested in you in that way? God, I know I’m biased, but I can’t imagine knowing you and not being in love with you.” Harry's eyes widened as he realized what he’d confessed, but a tear slid down Caitlin’s face and her lips quivered joyfully.

“Really?” She caressed his face and he covered her fingers with his, leaning into her touch. 

“Really,” Harry confirmed more boldly. He kissed her again, and Caitlin knew there was just one more point she needed to make completely clear before she proceeded to kiss him about a million more times amidst the Christmas lights glowing around them and the snow cascading outside the window, really falling heavily now. Just like she was.

“I haven’t been all _that_ subtle,” She recalled, “I’m always looking at you when there’s not much excuse to, and it’s not a platonic look. I wish I’d gotten up the nerve to say something sooner. It’s just hard sometimes when you care about someone so much and you don’t want to mess it up. I’ve messed up in love so many times.”

“You deserve the greatest guy on the planet, Caitlin. Someone who will give you every little thing you could ever want or need from a relationship, and speaking of messes? _I’m_ a mess. I’m a walking disaster. Every time I open my mouth, something insensitive goes flying out. I have a hard time letting other people in, and when I do, it makes me so afraid of losing them that sometimes, I hold on too tight. That’s why my daughter basically kicked me off her planet. I know that _I_ don’t deserve you, but I also know that I love you, and I haven’t known what to do about it, given all those variables.” He sank onto the couch, taking off his glasses and smoothing the melted snow from them with his sweater before laying them on the coffee table. He rubbed his chin, eyes still averted, his mind trying to make all the pieces fit.

Caitlin shook her head and climbed onto his lap, basically straddling him, the sensual posture causing him to look at her utterly awestruck. “This is exactly the point I wanted to make you see, Harry. Earlier today, you told me that I’m special. Well, so are you. Nobody’s perfect. I mean, come on! One strong jolt of fear or anger makes me turn into a white-haired, ice-wielding criminal, but I don’t see that scaring you away. You’re perfect _for me,_ and despite whatever insecurities you’ve picked up along the way in this life — and I have them, too — Harry.” She kissed his lips softly, tenderly. “You’re amazing. You deserve to be loved. And I love you.”

“Cait,” Harry said, the nickname coming to him so naturally now. His voice was strained with emotion. He stroked a tear away from her cheek and kissed her back, the sweetness of the moment shifting to reveal a deep physical desire, made incredibly intense by the power of their feelings for each other.

Caitlin pulled Harry’s sweater over his head and tossed it over the couch, where luckily it didn’t land in the tree. She pressed closer to him until the sensation of his hardness against her made her sigh under the thrall of enticing need, and she was grateful when he unzipped her dress, his movements slow and deliberate, driving her deliciously crazy. The dress fell from her shoulders and down to her waist. They kissed again, hard and demanding this time, then Caitlin stood up to let the dress fall to the floor. She bit her lip at the sight of his eyes locked on her. She wore only a black strapless bra and matching lace panties, plus the maroon heels she hadn’t bothered to kick off. Harry’s body was lean and toned, and Caitlin was definitely looking back with matching intentions. He stood and wrapped his strong arms around her, their molten kisses emboldening the ways in which they held and touched each other. Harry slipped a finger under the side of her string bikini underwear and Caitlin knew she couldn’t wait much longer to have him completely. 

Their thoughts were on the same wavelength to the extent that when Harry cupped her rear, she simply jumped up into his arms until he was carrying her into the bedroom, then laying her across the comforter. He quickly stripped down to his black boxer briefs, then crawled over to her, hovering, looking into her eyes with an adoration so intermingled with lust that Caitlin thought she was going to melt. “Harry,” she sighed as he undid her bra, then kissed her from her neck all the way down to her lower abdomen, “Don’t stop.”

“Caitlin, I don’t ever want to stop,” he admitted quietly. She hadn’t realized that _earnest_ and _sexy_ went together so seamlessly, but there he was, Harry Wells at his most open and vulnerable, for her. It was unbelievable but it was euphorically real.

He followed the path his lips had already traced back up to her breasts, teasing them with light strokes of his fingers before lowering his mouth to her nipples. Caitlin’s hips actually bucked upwards and she gripped the sheets, moaning softly. Harry asked her about protection then and she pointed to her bedside table drawer, effectively speechless by this point. He returned to her and she urged his hands to her panties, wanting to feel his fingers removing them, fulfilling fantasies that used to make her feel sheepish. 

Caitlin’s hair spilled across his chest as she kissed his body, then felt his hand tangling in the soft locks, grasping her needily, turning them over again. She guessed his next intention as his head dipped between her legs and the mere _idea_ of his tongue against her throbbing core was almost enough to drive her over the edge. Harry kissed her softly. “Mmm,” She responded, and he looked up at her aroused expression, her half-closed eyes and her head thrown back in helpless anticipation. The sight of Caitlin so turned on seemed to make him even more determined to satisfy her, even more turned on himself as he began to lick her. Very soon afterwards, she shuddered and arched her back as she came, her legs wrapping around him as he rose back up again to kiss her mouth, rough and urgent, both of them breathless. Caitlin let only a few moments pass before she guided him into her, the length of him making her feel exquisitely full, his gradual sliding in and out causing her to sink her nails slightly into his back.

Harry let out a ragged sigh, pumping faster and deeper just as she’d silently requested, the rhythm that they instinctively discovered growing more intense and pleasurable until they came in quick succession. She caught him in her arms as he fell slightly against her, sighing her name against her ear. 

Later, they cuddled up on the couch, glasses of red wine in hand and a cozy blanket wrapped around them as they watched the snow still falling outside the window, which sparkled with reflected, multicolored light. “How do you feel about that idea of just staying here, with me?” Caitlin asked, then did a double-take at her own boldness. Somehow, Harry was bringing out a continual, frank openness from her. It felt really good to be so honest and even better to be curled up against his warm, solid body, his handsome face resting against her head. 

“There’s no where I’d rather be,” Harry confirmed, tracing slow circles on her shoulder with his free hand. 

“Well, then, one thing’s for sure,” Caitlin observed happily, putting her wine glass down so that she could place both hands on his face and draw him to her. “This is the merriest Christmas I’ve ever had.”

Harry’s wine glass joined Caitlin’s, the dark liquid sloshing slightly with the quickness of his movement, his haste to get back to touching and kissing her. When he did, the silky, fruity taste of their mouths had them forgetting about their previous declarations of exhaustion. “Me, too,” Harry replied between kisses. “Merry Christmas, Caitlin Snow. I love you.”


End file.
